The Rouse and the Reveille

The Rouse and Reveille are bugle calls played to signify different parts of the day.

Rouse

The Rouse is the call used in conjunction with the Last Postat commemorative services such as Remembrance Day, at dedication services and at military funerals. The Rouse is a short bugle call that was also used to call soldiers to their duties.

After the one minute silence, the Rouse is sounded during which flags are raised from half mast to the masthead.

Reveille

Reveille, from the French word ‘reveillez’, meaning to ‘wake-up’, was originally played as a drum beat just prior to daybreak.

Its purpose is to wake up the sleeping soldiers and to let the sentries know that they could cease challenging. It was also a signal to open the town gates and let out the horse guard, allowing them to do a reconnaissance of the immediate area beyond the walls.